Two certainties: Carr is exiting, and Texans are wiser

Published 6:30 am, Thursday, February 15, 2007

David Carr's time in Houston appears to be drawing to a close after five years at the helm of the Texans' offense.

David Carr's time in Houston appears to be drawing to a close after five years at the helm of the Texans' offense.

Photo: Winslow Townson, AP

Two certainties: Carr is exiting, and Texans are wiser

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Be patient, friends. The Texans are going to get it right this time. Write that guarantee down and hold me to it.

I know what you're thinking. You're wondering why David Carr is still on the roster. You're starting to get that familiar uneasy feeling that they're going to blow it again.

They're not. Trust me this once. These Texans aren't the same Texans who made all those boneheaded decisions.

For four years, the Texans had a perfect storm of bad decision-making: inexperienced owner, incompetent general manager, befuddled coaching staff. It's easy to blame Bob McNair for allowing Charley Casserly to run the franchise into the ground, but a lot of the rest of us believed in Casserly for way too long as well.

An upgrade at GM

From the moment McNair realized he'd made a mistake, he began turning the Texans in another direction. Some of you can't quite grasp that fact. They're different, way different, than they were at this time two years ago.

They were once dumb. They're dumb no more. General manager Rick Smith is really good at his job. He's thorough, competent and innovative.

He inherited a mess. Even with an outstanding 2006 draft class, the Texans still have holes at quarterback, running back, left tackle, defensive line, cornerback and safety.

There will be the usual debate about who they should draft. It's a silly debate because they can use almost any good player. Just don't pick another stiff.

Gary Kubiak mostly got it right last year while working with Casserly. Now he has a general manager who is smarter and shares his vision of what a good organization should be.

A matter of when, not if

As for Carr, this is where patience will be required. He has played his last game for the Texans. In the end, nothing else matters. Smith will have to create a market for him. Even that might not be enough. Five years after being the first pick in the draft, Carr might fetch no more than a mid-round pick.

The Texans would like to have the thing settled by the time offseason workouts begin in March. It also could go right up until the NFL draft on April 28. Regardless, there's virtually no way Carr will be on the roster when training camp begins.

He's a sad story on many levels. He was the franchise's first pick and, until this year, never really had a chance to succeed. The Texans never protected him or coached him up, never put enough talent around him.

No matter. Carr still should have shown more. In 76 NFL games, he has yet to play a stretch that makes you think, "Hey, he's the guy."

Last season was the killer. He finally had some talent around him. He didn't have enough talent, but few quarterbacks are going to have a perfect situation.

Have you watched Peyton Manning play the last couple of years? He's under significant pressure at times, too. He simply speeds up his reads and delivers the ball quickly and accurately.

It's time for a divorce. Carr needs to get somewhere and have the chance to jump-start his career. The Texans need to get someone they trust.

That someone apparently will be Jake Plummer. He's 32 years old and has played in 143 NFL games. In three seasons with Kubiak as his quarterback coach in Denver, he was 32-11 with three playoff appearances.

It's impossible to make the case that Plummer is a great player. About all he has done consistently since getting to Denver is win. He's one of those rare people whose intangibles are at least as impressive as his physical gifts. Does that sound like anyone you know?

Considering all this franchise has gone through, getting a winner ought to be enough. As with most teams, it's going to come down to defense, running the ball and pass protection. No quarter-
back operates in a vacuum.

Plummer has shown he can win if he's placed in the right circumstances. That's something Carr never did.

It's an indication of how little faith fans have in this franchise that they've begun to rip Plummer before the Texans have even traded for him. If it's not Plummer, who should it be? Sage Rosenfels? He impressed everyone in the organization with his work ethic. He also looked good in limited playing time. If he hadn't suffered a broken hand, he surely would have been the starting quarterback the final month of the season.

Who else? Jeff Garcia? He'd be an upgrade, but Kubiak probably will be more comfortable with Plummer. As for the guy many fans really want, he's not available.

It's time to move on from Vince Young. He's more likely to be forgotten if the Texans get it right this offseason. And they will.